Russian kiteboarders cross the Bering Strait

06 July 2011 |
Kiteboarding

Eugene Novožeev and Konstantin Aksyonov have successfuly kite crossed the Bering Strait. The Russians kiteboarders are the first riders to complete this mission, after several attempts from other wind challengers.

The cross of the Bering Strait is a 96-kilometre (56 miles) adventure. Novožeev, four-time Russian kiteboarding champion, and Aksyonov kicked off from Chukotka, in Russia and arrived in Alaska.

The kite mission is full of challenges. Winds, currents, tides, ships, cold temperatures and swell make it harder to get from one coast to the other.

Maurice Lacroix, a French kiteboarders, had already tried to complete the trip but he missed it. Troy Henkels and Geza Sholtz have plans to do it this summer.

In 1998, Russian adventurer Dmitry Shparo and his son Matvey made the first known modern crossing of the frozen Bering Strait on skis. Suggestions have been made for the construction of a bridge, the Bering Strait bridge, between Alaska and Siberia.